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If skydiving is on your "bucket list," but you are worried you may never work up the nerve to do it, indoor skydiving can help ease you into the process. Indoor skydiving relies on wind tunnel technology to simulate the experience of free-falling, the first part of all skydives. If you live in or are visiting California, three indoor facilities across the state can help you cross skydiving off your list.

Indoor Skydiving Explained

Indoor skydiving facilities use high-powered fans in wind tunnels to create a column of air calibrated to the size of the flier. The fliers float on the column of air, experiencing the free-fall portion of the skydive. In real dives, the free-fall lasts for a minute or less, but many indoor flights are around two minutes long. In addition to recreational use, many licensed skydivers use indoor skydiving facilities to hone their craft in a safe, controlled environment.

Skydive Perris

Located 70 miles east of Los Angeles in Riverside County, Skydive Perris (skydiveperris.com) operates 365 days a year in a 96-foot wind tunnel on the site of a skydiving drop zone. The facility accommodates fliers as young as 3 years old and enforces a weight limit for all participants of 250 pounds. First-time fliers must complete a training session, and most individual flight packages include two rotations in the simulator (each lasting one to two minutes) with an instructor present at all times. Friends and family can watch from the observation area. Fliers should arrive 45 minutes prior to flight time, and all participants must wear flight gear including a jumpsuit, goggles, helmet and ear plugs.

iFly SF Bay

In Union City, 30 miles south of San Francisco, iFly SF Bay (iflysfbay.com) offers an indoor skydiving experience with a 360-degree view through the glass walls of the wind tunnel. After the first-time-flier class, participants don full flight gear including elbow and knee pads, then step into the tunnel with an instructor for their flight. iFly SF Bay accepts fliers as young as 3 years old with parental consent; they can accommodate adults up to 230 pounds if they are under 6 feet tall and 250 pounds if they are over 6 feet tall. Fliers should be on-site at least an hour prior to their flight to allow for training and gear-up.

iFly Hollywood

Operated by the same company as iFly SF Bay, iFly Hollywood (iflyhollywood.com) at Universal Studios City Walk serves fliers ages 3 and up. The facility has the same weight and gear requirements as iFly SF Bay, and requests that fliers be present 45 minutes prior to their scheduled flight time. The glass wind tunnel sits along the busy shopping district, allowing fliers to see and be seen. Standard flights typically last around a minute.

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About the Author

Carrie Currie began writing professionally in 1997. She has written for the "Statesville Record and Landmark" and various online publications. After spending seven years in Los Angeles working with film and television writers, Currie spent two years writing in a health care setting. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in communications.

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